


Mirror, Mirror

by dress_to_obsess



Category: The King: Eternal Monarch, 더 킹：영원의 군주 | The King: Eternal Monarch (TV)
Genre: Gen, The rest of the detective squad is here too
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2020-05-01
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:53:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23942641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dress_to_obsess/pseuds/dress_to_obsess
Summary: Of all the things that might come out of the bizarre reality Lee Gon had dumped into her perfectly normal life, Tae Eul could at least have some fun with this.Eun Sup and the detectives meet Jo Young.
Relationships: Jo Young & Lee Gon
Comments: 24
Kudos: 189





	Mirror, Mirror

Tae Eul sighed, pushed aside the sad remains of her late-night overtime instant noodles and glanced around the tiny office table at the rest of her teammates. The others were in various stages of finishing their own meals and contemplating soft beds, hot showers, and careers with a far smaller chance of requiring that they dig through mountains of trash for crucial evidence. To say it had been a long day would have been an incredible understatement, and it wasn’t even over yet.

“You know,” Detective Shim mused, pointing accusatorially at Jangmi with his chopsticks, “We never used to have to search through garbage dumps before the newbie got here. I think he’s bad luck.”

Shin Jae nodded gravely. “Twice in as many weeks. It’s definitely a curse.”

Jangmi looked up, wide-eyed, with a truly ridiculous quantity of noodles hanging from his mouth. Tae Eul slapped him encouragingly on the back and came to his defense. “Hey, if anyone’s bad luck, it’s you, Shim Sunbae. Who else could manage to fall three times in rotten fruit in the space of an hour?”

“Hey! It’s not my fault it was slippery!”

From his desk behind them, Chief Park snorted inelegantly.

“It’s easy for you, Chief!” Detective Shim whined. “You got to sit here and do paperwork!”

“And yet I still I have to sit here and smell all of you!”

Tae Eul giggled as they fell to bickering, only to be interrupted by an new, entirely-too-energetic voice.

“Detective! I’m glad we could see you before we headed back!”

Chief Park groaned. “Who let him in here?”

Tae Eul looked up to see Lee Gon sweep into the room, wearing an even more ostentatious outfit than he had the last time she had seen him, when he had returned her to her home still reeling from the shock of their little parallel universe field trip.

His Royal Highness was so eye-catching that for a moment no one but Tae Eul saw Jo Young slip inside after him, settling into parade rest behind Lee Gon as he stopped in front of the gathered detectives.

It was Shin Jae who noticed first.

“No way.”

His reaction drew the others’ attention. More than one jaw dropped.

Lee Gon grinned, clearly reveling in their shock. “Allow me to introduce you! This is Jo Young, Captain of my royal guard.”

Jo Young nodded to them in greeting but said nothing.

“Relax, Young, we’re among friends here!” Lee Gon chided him.

“You have a meeting at the palace in a few hours, Your Highness,” Jo Young said. “And this place is hardly secure.”

“It’s a police station!” Chief Park protested.

Jo Young ignored him.

Detective Shim crept closer to examine the newcomer. He waved a hand in front of his face. “This is a prank, right? Hey, Eun Sup, we know it’s you.”

He got a faintly condescending stare in return.

Shin Jae shot Tae Eul an amused look, eyebrow raised, as if to ask, _Where do you even find these people? ___

__She shrugged and grinned. Of all the things that might come out of the bizarre reality Lee Gon had dumped into her perfectly normal life, Tae Eul could at least have some fun with this._ _

__The universe must have been on her side for once, and with a flair for timing at that, because in waltzed none other than Eun Sup._ _

__“One last delivery for the hardworking detectives before I get to go home and—“ Eun Sup cut himself off with a high-pitched _eep _of surprise, dropping a large file that burst open, scattering papers all over the floor at his feet. He stooped to gather them into a messy pile, not even noticing that he missed most of them because his eyes were locked on his doppelgänger.___ _

____If Tae Eul hadn’t been watching Jo Young at just the right moment, she would have missed the way his eyes widened for an instant before he resettled his features into a mask of neutrality. She knew enough about him to recognize that meant he was just about falling over from shock by anyone else’s standards._ _ _ _

____Eun Sup straightened up and walked closer, trailing lose papers along the way. He tilted his head side to side as he examined the man in front of him._ _ _ _

____“Did someone clone me?” he asked. “Is he a robot?”_ _ _ _

____Jo Young just looked at him._ _ _ _

____Eun Sup pointed an accusing finger at his coworkers. “That’s it! You’re trying to replace me!”_ _ _ _

“Like in _Are you Human Too?_ ” Jangmi asked. 

______Eun Sup snapped his fingers. “I knew it! Next he’ll kill me in my sleep and take over my life!”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“I am neither a robot nor your replacement. And unless you are a threat to His Majesty, I am not a threat to you.” Jo Young said._ _ _ _ _ _

______Lee Gon elaborated, “Young is the one I told you about. The captain of my royal guard. Young, this is Eun Sup. He proved very helpful the first time I came here.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Eun Sup nodded, realization dawning on his face. “So he’s the reason you said I could be your Unbreakable Sword or whatever?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Jo Young’s head snapped around to glare at Lee Gon, whose sheepish grin froze halfway onto his face. Jo Young huffed and looked away again, settling into stillness once more._ _ _ _ _ _

______The detectives exchanged amazed glances. It was the most Jo Young had reacted during the entire conversation._ _ _ _ _ _

______“It wasn’t like that.” Lee Gon protested, stepping into Jo Young’s vision trying to get his attention. Jo Young stared resolutely ahead. “It was a joke! I was kidding! Of course I would never give anyone your title! Tell him, Eun Sup,” he ordered._ _ _ _ _ _

______Eun Sup tapped his chin with a finger. “You seemed pretty serious to me.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“I feel like I’m watching someone who accidentally called his boyfriend by his ex’s name.” Detective Shim whispered. Tae Eul smacked him on the arm without looking away from the unfolding train wreck._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Come on, look at me, Young. Please? Don’t give me the silent treatment again.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Jo Young simply checked his watch. He lifted his wrist to show Lee Gon and tapped it pointedly. Eun Sup tried unsuccessfully to stifle a snicker as Lee Gon threw up his hands in exasperation._ _ _ _ _ _

______“How is it that there are two of you here and neither one is on my side?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______He sighed dramatically and turned to the detectives. “Unfortunately, I have a meeting in the morning with the Prime Minister that I can’t miss.” To Jo Young he griped, “Fine, we can go. But only if you talk to me!”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“As you wish, King 988.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Jo Young turned neatly on his heel and made his way down the hallway out of sight._ _ _ _ _ _

______Lee Gon’s jaw dropped open, and he stood for a moment in stunned silence. He shouted indignantly and chased after Jo Young. “How dare you! You’ll be beheaded for this!”_ _ _ _ _ _

______His steps and voice grew fainter, echoing down the hallway._ _ _ _ _ _

______Tae Eul bit her lip, glancing around at the others._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Take it back, Young! This is treason!”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Tae Eul snorted, finally dissolving into helpless laughter, dragging the rest of the group down with her. Chief Park looked around at his tired, befuddled detectives cracking up around him, and gave her an exasperated look._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Care to explain?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______She shook her head, not having enough breath to reply._ _ _ _ _ _


End file.
